Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway also goes by the name of 192 and Vine. Whether this is to confuse travelers and force them to place their trust in the almighty tourist information sign is not certain. This major stretch of neon hosts countless restaurants, information booths, trinket stands, would-be attractions, bona-fide attractions and more traffic signals than Phoenix.

There were no major thrills along this hedonistic highway which closely resembles Beach Boulevard in Buena Park, California, until Old Town began stepping up its entertainment quotient with a Bungy tower, a fun contraption called a human slingshot and recently, the addition of a true local delight; The Windstorm.

When billboards began popping up around town, touting this new attraction, each drive past Old Town would yield similar results--craned necks out of open windows, trying to catch a glimpse of the newest coaster to hit central Florida. For a while, our local group wondered if there was actually a coaster back there--which finally prompted a field trip on a cruisin' Friday night.

Old Town, more shopping outlet than family amusement center, features a hot-car cruise parade on weekends that is a local draw. Windstorm could easily make this more of a typical fun spot for creating summer memories. Rising up at the end of a beautifully landscaped walk, this coaster is almost a twin-sister of the Hurricane at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The somewhat boxy trains feature high padded headrests to protect your ears during the journey. After scaling the lift, the three car trains turn about and dive into a speed-inducing grade that sets up the first real drop--it's a quick move that rolls the cars around into a 4 G hairpin maneuver that pins you to the seat.

While this isn't a fast-moving journey, the heaviness of the cars creates a tonal scream that psyches you out just a bit. Through the rapid series of tight twists and switchbacks you soar, with just enough force to make you grip the padded bar within your easy grasp. Such a notorious earthquake of a coaster this is; not neccessarily rough--it's quite a smooth circuit. The set-up is a one-two combination of height and precise gravity manipulation. It delivers more fright than nearby railways and disembarking riders seem to be satisfied with their return off of three bucks.

It was a quiet day for shooting and I got a train all to myself as early afternoon thundershowers had scattered most of the light crowds around this area. It didn't take long to do the shoot and ride the coaster, so it was soon time to go. A quiet and contemplative end to our 1997 edition.